Inexpensive Sparkling Wines

     As our days turn warmer and warmer, lay down the red wines, set aside the whites and uncork the refreshing enthusiasm of a chilled bottle of sparkling white wine.  Kid-wild, their effervescence dances to the tops of our glasses as carefree children frolicking on a trampoline.  Titillating, tiny bubbles burst into the air, gently spraying a fine wet mist on our lips, alluring our senses with the promise of an uncommon wine experience.

     Different wines have different ways of attracting our attention.  Intense, robust red wines command our attention with their acerbic tannins; lighter reds, such as Pinot Noir gently remind us of their presence with soft fruity acids.  White wines are almost apologetic in nature, when asking for consideration.  Furtively, they announce their presence with light acids and understated flavors in each sip.  Chilled sparkling white wines on the other hand are obvious attention getters; gay and frivolous they tickle our palates with each sip. The liveliness of their effervescent reveals itself in the energy of their bubbles, bursting with unbridled flamboyance.  Every mouthful of a sparkling wine exhilarates our senses as their fizz dances its way to the tops of our glasses.

     In Italy, sparkling wines bear the name “Spumanti” such as Asti Spumanti, from the village of Asti or the word Frizzante, generally associated with the name of a grape, such as “Moscato”, indicating a gentle effervescence.  “Prosecco” is an Italian sparkling wine that derives its name from the grape—Prosecco.  These sparkling wines are gentle on the palate and a little sweet.  Although they are not necessarily bottle-fermented, as Methode Champenoise requires, their “fizz” or bubbles are uniformly small and delicate. They are gentle, unpretentious wines with hints of mouthwatering, sugary acids underneath a layer of “yeasty earthiness”.  These wines also sell for about ten dollars a bottle and are great companions to have with green salads, cold cuts and cheese or just to sip by themselves.    

     Spain’s contribution to our medley of sparkling white wines is “Cava”.  Produced in the “Traditional Methode” or Methode Champenoise they vary in taste from very dry—“Brut” to “Seco”—sweet.  Cava is a great choice to keep on hand to have with food or to make as “Cava Sangria” (I will be happy to supply the recipe). On its own or as Sangria, chilled Cava is the perfect beverage to relax with on a hot afternoon as they do in Spain.   If I am sounding a bit biased toward this Spanish sparkler, it is because I am.  Cava is one of my favorite sparkling wines that I enjoy all year round with or without food.  As with the other sparkling wines from France and Italy, Cava is also available for less than ten dollars a bottle.

     Although American sparkling wines legally bear the misleading label of “Champagne”, they are also a good summertime choice.  As I have said many times before, Champagne derives its name from its place of origin, hence labeling a bottle of sparkling wine that is not from Champagne, France as “Champagne” is misleading.  That said—American sparkling wines in the ten to fifteen dollar range tend to be more on the dry side and a little tart with citrus fruit flavors.  Their dryness though, is what allows them to pair well with the fatty fish oils of smoked fish or compliment grilled chicken but they can also overpower soft mild cheeses.  In many ways, they taste and “feel” like Crémant de Bourgogne, but drier.   

     Not all American sparkling wines are necessarily the produced in the classical Methode Champenoise as is French Champagne and other sparkling wines.  The only way to know with certainty is if the label specifically states Methode Champenoise, otherwise it is not bottle-fermented.  In spite of the labeling practices, American bubbly can be lots of fun with food or on its own.   

     Sparkling wines are also great to have as an aperitif before dinner.  Unlike martinis or cocktails made with liquor, which dampen our taste buds, sparkling wines invigorate them.  Any of these sprightly wines become elegant aperitifs with panache, by adding a splash of a liqueur or fresh fruit to the glass.  An ounce or two of Crème de Cassis in a glass of Crémant de Bourgogne creates a flavor-rich Kir Royal.  The Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco is the foundation for the famed “Bellini” that originated in Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy in 1943.  The original recipe uses about two ounces of freshly pureed white peaches and a dollop of pureed raspberries to a champagne flute of Prosecco.  This lush aperitif is perfect before or after dinner.  An acceptable alternative to fresh fruit purees, are juices similar in taste to peach or pear purees or one of the tropical fruit blends available. To create your own distinctive sparkling wine aperitif, add some slices of fresh fruit such as strawberries or orange slices to any of the sweeter sparkling wines.  The drier wines are best with orange juice or sweet liqueurs.   Whether as an aperitif or with food, sparkling wines illuminate any occasion.

      With lighter summer meals and hot days ahead, refreshingly delicate sparkling wines are the perfect choice to sip alone or to have with food.  Their low levels of acidity and hints of sugar invite the introduction of leafy green salads, grilled chicken breast, tuna salad, fresh fruit, cheese and much, much more.  They are perfect summertime companions to any meal or for any occasion. This summer, let the kid-wild effervescence of chilled sparkling wine ease the warm days and cool-off the summer nights.

A Champagne Fantasy

Let your mind wander and fantasize with me for a brief moment. We are standing in a noisy cabaret. The gas lamps are flickering from the dense smoke wafting in the hot, steamy air. There is music reverberating in every corner of the room from the pulsating rhythms of Jacques Offenbach’s melodies. On the stage we see a line of dancers with ruffled, red skirts of satin and lace exposing one outstretched, gyrating leg in the air, while rhythmically bouncing on the other leg to keep pace with the rollicking cancan music. The tops of their heaving bosoms are accentuated by corseted waists and are partially exposed in low cut white silk blouses. Perspiration is shimmering on their bare shoulders. Their lungs are screaming for air as the music’s pace quickens.

Outside the cabaret walls, on the Boulevard de Clichy, resting at the base of Monmatre (a hill thirty meters high in Paris) it is cold and dark but inside it is bright and steaming hot from the crowd of people. The atmosphere is carefree and festive in the newest dancehall in the Pigalle section of Paris, France. It is a time for gaiety and celebration in an era that will later be called—La Belle Époque! Science and technology are making life easier for everyone with the spreading of electricity across France. The New Year offers great hopes for prosperity in a Europe at peace.

 We are standing on the crowded dance floor of the legendary Moulin Rouge. The date is December 31, 1889. It is the inaugural year of the notorious cabaret frequented by the post- impressionist artist, Toulouse-Lautrec. The Champagne from the House of Clicquot is flowing and bubbling over in the glasses of the revelers. In the ballroom lusty, perfumed woman, with highlighted cheeks of rouge, mingle in the crowd adding an air of excitement to the festivities. It is an eclectic gathering of upper class, waist coated nouveau bourgeoisie and prostitutes mingling and rollicking together. Off in a far corner of the room the diminutive Toulouse-Lautrec sits quietly sketching the festivities on a sheet of paper with a charcoal stick. The time nears, the excitement crescendos and erupts in a mass chorus counting down to midnight,

“Dix, neuf, huit, sept, six, cinq, quatre, trois, deux…Bonne Année!”

The Royal Wine

Champagne bespeaks gaiety, opulence and frivolity. The tiny bubbles, long held captive in bottles frivolously dance their way to the tops of elegant, slim flutes while beckoning the holder to come and play. “Leave your troubles behind for another time.” They seem to say. “Indulge yourself in my richness.

I am not an ordinary wine.

  I am Champagne!

 Champagne is the royalty of wine. To evolve into Champagne, wine undergoes two fermentation processes. The first fermentation takes place in wooden barrels as ordinary wine, and then this still (non-effervescent) wine is transferred to bottles made of thick glass that will transform it from wine to Champagne! The transformation process that is the genesis of Champagne is called Methode Champenoise. It is in this old, time consuming process and the origin of the grapes that makes Champagne different from all other sparkling wines.

In the second fermentation, Methode Champenoise or the Traditional Methode as it is also known; sugar and yeast are added to the still wine to activate the second fermentation. The bottle is corked to prevent the carbon dioxide from escaping. The dead yeast or sediment that forms in the bottle is slowly maneuvered down onto the cork and into the bottle’s neck by a process called riddling (remuage in France). This process consists of inverting the bottles, cork down, on a forty-five degree angle in a specially built rack (pupitre) that was invented by Madame Clicquot in the early eighteen hundreds. Then every three to four days a Remuer (a skilled craftsman) gives the bottle a slight lift and a small turn, by hand, dropping the bottle in the rack with a slight jolt, and then gradually increasing the angle of the tilt downward by lowering the top of the pupitre. This laborious process continues for about six to eight weeks until the sediment is completely collected on the cork and the bottle is upside down. At this point the cork is removed, releasing the collected sediment (disgorgement) and what remains in the bottle is the result of the skillful Remuer’s loving care— crystal clear, sparkling, flavorful Champagne. The bottle is topped-off with a combination of wine, brandy and or sugar, depending on the desired level of sweetness and finally resealed with a new cork and wire.

The use of the name “Champagne” by sparkling wine producers not located in the province of Champagne has, for a very long time been a contentious legal battle among winemakers outside of France. Due to Champagne’s ever increasing popularity and its reputation for painstaking quality it is only natural that other sparkling wines, which are made in the same Traditional Methode, would want to be named Champagne. This name however, denotes more than just a fermentation process; it is also the province in France where the grapes are grown. As I have written many times before in this column and in others, in Europe it is all about the soil—terroir. To the European winemaker the soil plays an integral role in determining the characteristics of the wine along with the winemaking method. Setting international treaties aside for a moment; the question begs to be answered. “If a wine is associated with the place the grapes are grown, then how can wines made from grapes grown elsewhere use the same name?”

In Spain for example, sparkling wine made in the Traditional Methode, is called Cava (see my July 2008 article in the Tubac Villager). Other provinces of France, such as Burgundy and Alsace also make sparkling wine in the Traditional Methode but call them Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant d’Alsace respectively. The reason is simple—the wine is not from the province of Champagne.

Sparkling wines made in the United States are commonly labeled “Champagne”. The reasons for this are many. For the most part the right to use the name “Champagne” was codified in the Treaty of Versailles, after World War I. The Congress of the Unites States did not ratify the treaty and we consider ourselves free to use the name “Champagne” for our sparkling wine. From my perspective, wine grown in the province of Champagne, made in the Traditional Methode, is “Champagne”. All the other sparkling wines that are made in the Traditional Methode, no matter how good they may be, are simply not Champagne. They are like Champagne, made the same way as Champagne but not Champagne.

     Having Champagne is always a memorable experience; whether it is welcoming in a new year, celebrating a joyous event, accompanying food or just sipping it quietly by oneself, its memory lingers. Champagne is so distinctive that everything associated with it becomes memorable.

Sommelier Champagne Selections

Over the years I have enjoyed some of the finest Champagnes produced. Two that come to mind are Cristal and Gosset Grand Reserve. My memory of Cristal is a light, bone dry, crystal clear, shimmering Champagne, gently dancing on my tongue. My mouth waters with the thought of Cristal and caviar.
The mention of Gosset brings back memories of drinking the NV (non vintage) Brut, for the first time, with lunch in a little French boulangerier (bakery) in the village of Epernay that is home to the House of Gosset. Having Champagne with a simple lunch in a French boulangerier may sound terribly decadent but logically, what else would anyone have in the Champagne producing province of France. The Gosset, NV Brut is not as dry as Cristal but still very delicate with a bit more yeast flavors on the palate. The Gosset Grand Reserve is a bit drier than the NV Brut and more delicate but still not as dry as Cristal.

My favorite though is Ruinart, Blanc de Blanc. I will always be indebted to my generous daughter-in-law for making me a gift of this incredibly tasty bubbly. The House of Ruinart is the oldest, continuously producing Champagne house in Reims, France. The Blanc de Blanc is one hundred percent Chardonnay. Each mouthful titillates the palate with tiny effervescence and is full of rich yeast and wet straw aromas. It is a savory, full bodied Champagne that energizes the taste buds with more yeast richness and hints of citrus. Each sip is seductive and inviting.

Gosset and Ruinart are available in wines stores throughout Arizona and usually sell for more than fifty dollars each. As a less expensive American made alternative, I recommend any vintage version of Gruet, Blanc De Blanc from New Mexico (yes, New Mexico). The Gruet family has been producing Champagne in the small town of Bethon, France since 1952. In 1984 Gilbert Gruet’s son Laurent and his sister, Nathalie started making Sparkling Wine, using the Traditional Methode in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a French family they appropriately do not call their sparkling wine Champagne. It is produced in the Method Champenoise and is a very good value for twenty-five dollars.

Gruet’s Blanc De Blanc is made from Chardonnay, with crisp citrus flavors and is moderately dry to the taste. It starts off a little harsh when the bottle is first opened but softens nicely, after about fifteen minutes of breathing time in the bottle. The bubbles are uniformly tight to delight and reward the budget conscious with a very good value for their dollar spent. Gruet is conveniently available locally.

This year as the clock ticks down to the New Year, lift your glasses with me and let us return to our fantasy celebration at the Moulin Rouge. Come with me where the Champagne is flowing and memories are being born. As we step inside we will hear, “Bienvenue à mon fard à joues de Moulin Rouge. Bonne Année!”

Bernard Berlin